Resolution
by Lyme
Summary: A fic that takes up where Die Me, Dichotomy left off... an attempt to remedy the problems left behind by the season 2 finale.
1. Death

3/2001 – 

Resolution

S. Hempel (AKA Lyme BloodTalon)

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Farscape, or the characters. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little bit, but I promise I won't hurt the worse than anything DK's done to them.

All of my fiction is available at [http://www.crosswinds.net/~lyme/][1] in the section titled 'Farscape Dren'.

RATING: PG-13

CATEGORY: Drama/Ep-Filler/Wishful Thinking

SPOILERS: Everything up through DMD, including big honkin' ones for DMD

SUMMARY: An attempt to clean up the horrific mess the crew is in after the events of DMD…

ARCHIVING: If you have something of mine already, take it. If not, email and ask.

FEEDBACK: lymebt@airmail.net

NOTE: My muse sucks. She made me start this, January 27th. Then she ran off, and came back with another muse, who made me do evil photomanips. This, btw, is the longest fanfic I've written to date. And, yes, I still want to beat David Kemper with all sorts of blunt objects. Oh, yeah, this is a situation that would prolly never happen on the show, too, BTW. I half-wish I had a DK-Chip to blame, hehee.

~~~

Part 1: Death

~~~

He had been lying on the operating table for an indeterminable amount of time. He didn't know how long it had been since Scorpius had reclaimed the chip and left him in a paroxysm of rage. Five microts, or five hundred? Five arns? No, it couldn't have been that long, could it?

John's throat felt raw and bloody. He swallowed, wincing. He'd lost it when Scorpius had found him. His own screams of rage, pain, and hatred had echoed through the chamber until his ears were ringing. He had spent dozens of microts trying to wrench himself free from the restraints that held him to the table, unmindful of his condition. After a while, he had given up on attempting to free himself, and he had slumped back against the table. 

_Control, John-boy. Control yourself,_ he thought.For the first time in over a cycle, he had complete control over his mind – or what was left of it. No Scorpius whispering in his ear. Somehow, he couldn't grasp that idea, fully. Under any other circumstances, his relief would have been intense. Now, it was barely noticeable. 

But Scorpius had found him. Scorpius had taken the chip, and left him to the mercy of fate. And, below him, on the floor, the Diagnosan lay either dead or dying. And Aeryn. Aeryn was dead.

Dead.

_Aeryn, oh, God._ He closed his eyes and swallowed hard, trying to dislodge the lump that had formed. He felt a wave of grief and guilt wash over him. Intellectually, he knew that he wasn't to blame for what had happened. He had been under control of the neurochip; at the mercy of the Scorpius clone that was in his head. He only prayed that Aeryn had understood – and that she had forgiven him for what he could not stop.

Even though he knew all of this, the largest part of his soul refused to forgive itself. He had killed the woman he loved – who loved him. After all the trials and torments they had endured, he'd lost her – mere arns after she'd told him that she loved him. Words that he'd been almost praying to hear for over a cycle. And he'd not only lost her – but he'd killed her himself.

But that was okay; it was. He was going to die, too. He wasn't sure how much longer he could last in his current condition, but it couldn't be very long. There was a hole the size of a walnut in his brain. The only creature on the planet that could help him was incapable of doing so. In a few arns, at the most, he'd be able to rejoin Aeryn.

Scorpius had won.

He closed his eyes again, and hoped that death would not be long in coming.

~~~

Scorpius strolled out of the medical lab, feeling quite satisfied with himself. He paused, catching himself humming that tune again – the one that had been with him for the past few solar days. He smiled to himself, and fingered the small container that held his chip.

At last, his cycle-long quest was at an end. He'd regained John Crichton – if only for a few microts. But in those few microts, he'd been able to retrieve the chip with the information he sought. He marveled at the irony that he didn't even have to remove the chip himself – he'd only had to kill the Diagnosan.

Scorpius felt a small pang of regret at that – after all, if it hadn't been for the expertise of Tocot, he would have died cycles ago. But Tocot had been in the way; he could have fully healed John Crichton. It amused Scorpius to no end to leave the one creature he hated more than any other alive, to live out his miserable existence alone, enraged, and unable to express it. It was only fair, after what the Human had done to his Gammak Base and Aurora Chair.

"Scorpius, sir!" Braca approached Scorpius, standing at attention. "We've secured the facility. Grunchlk is in custody."

"Very well done, Lieutenant," Scorpius said. "Bring him to me."

"Sir. And, sir?" Braca hesitated for a microt. "We've also discovered the defector Aeryn Sun. She's been frozen in one of the cryotubes. I thought you might want to know."

Scorpius paused for a moment. Aeryn Sun had been Crichton's companion. She might be useful, if it proved difficult to retrieve the information from the chip. "Yes. Secure her cryotube, and prepare to have it moved to the command carrier."

Braca nodded sharply, then turned on his heel and stalked away. Scorpius watched him leave, idly pondering the information. Aeryn Sun. She'd caused him nearly as much trouble as Crichton had. Yes, she would prove to be entertaining, if not useful.

~~~

"Look. All I am saying, D'Argo, is that I don't think it's wise to leave him down there alone!" Chiana followed D'Argo as he strode down the hallway, trying to keep up with him.

"Not _now_, Chiana. Stark and I have to administer the second dose of the anesthesia to Moya," he said. He entered the burned section to find that Stark had not yet arrived, and then turned to face Chiana. "After we're finished, we will go for Crichton. He wanted to be alone."

Chiana shook her head incredulously. "Right now, alone is the _last_ thing Crichton needs to be, D'Argo. You know that. Do you remember how you felt when Lo'Laan died?"

D'Argo's expression changed immediately from one of annoyance to one of hurt. Chiana had struck a nerve, and she knew it. "Think of how you felt, D'Argo. Then multiply that by ten."

"Are you trying to trivialize what I went through?" D'Argo asked. His expression hardened. "Get out."

"D'Argo, no, I'm trying to make you understand – " Chiana protested. Frell. This wasn't going the way she'd intended.

"Just _go_! Leave me. And don't ever talk about Lo'Laan again." He turned away from her.

Chiana stepped forward, towards his turned back, but stopped short. Instead, she fled with tears in her eyes. She ran blindly through the corridors of Moya, hardly noticing when she passed out of the burned area and into the healthy parts. Eventually, she stopped, collapsing against a wall. Chiana didn't know what tier she was on, nor did she care.

A DRD came down the corridor, following the path of flight she'd taken. She stared at it dully for a moment, and then kicked out at it, breaking it. She wiped the tears from her cheeks, and gathered herself slowly. So much had happened in the past weekan. So much had changed – and almost none of it was for the better. It seemed that for every bit of good luck that came their way, lately, there was three times as much bad dren to follow.

Chiana stood and adjusted her clothing. After a few deep breaths, she set off to find Jothee.

~~~

"Grunchlk! How wonderful to see you again," Scorpius exclaimed. He was seated rather comfortably in the Diagnosan's fine quarters, which he had taken for his headquarters for the moment.

The guards on either side of Grunchlk pushed the captive man forward. He tripped over a rug, landing on his knees in front of Scorpius. "I wish I could say the same, Scorpius. If you needed something, I could've talked with the doctor and made a deal," he whined.

"Why make deals when I can take what I like?" Scorpius stood and walked over to Grunchlk. He looked down at the filthy man, noting with disgust that there were food stains on his shirt, as well as remnants of his last meal clinging to his face.

"So, are you going to kill me, too? You've already killed Tocot. I can tell by looking at you," Grunchlk said in a defeated voice. He should've known that the Leviathan would be trouble, but they had been easy marks. He never could resist an easy mark. But he hadn't expected the Diagnosan to die as a result.

"That all depends," Scorpius said, circling him. "How difficult is it to revive someone that you've put in storage?"

Grunchlk snorted. "Too hard. Besides, they're all almost dead, anyhow. They'd be worthless to you!"

Scorpius snarled. That was not the answer he wanted. Suddenly, Grunchlk found his cheek pressed to the ground, with Scorpius' booted foot planted firmly on his neck. "I'll ask again. Can you revive someone who has been put into storage?"

Grunchlk moaned in fear. He knew what Scorpius was capable of, and relented immediately. "It depends, it depends!" he cried. "It depends on how long they been frozen for, and what they died of!"

Scorpius removed his foot. "Very well. Your life has been spared. For now." He turned to the guards. "Bring him to the command carrier, and lock him up. Do not mistreat him too badly, because I need him."

~~~

"You're going back? Why?" Jothee asked, a slightly confused look on his face.

"Crichton is my friend. No, he's more than a friend, he's like family," Chiana explained. "I have to go back. I have a really bad feeling about this."

"But I thought he wanted to be alone," Jothee said.

"Yeah, that's what he said. But would you really trust him alone right now? And it's not safe. We're all here, on Moya. Crais is on Talyn, Zhaan is still messed up from whatever Crichton did to her, and besides, Pilot needs her. And, well, I'd have to be frelling insane to trust Crais."  
  


"So, I was your last choice?" Jothee grinned.

"No… hey! Come on, will you help me or not?"

"Yeah, sure, I guess," he said, scratching absently at the scar on his nose.

Chiana stepped closer to him, tracing her finger down the scar. "How'd you get that, anyway?"

Jothee froze, and his face hardened into a scowl. "Are we going to check on Crichton or not?" he asked, obviously avoiding the subject. That was a memory he didn't want to relive.

~~~

"Zhaan?"

The Delvian turned to face Pilot. She had been in his den for the majority of the time since they had returned to Moya. Zhaan had come there almost immediately after exiting the pod. She knew how close Pilot and Aeryn had been – and she knew that he would need comforting.

"Yes, Pilot?"

"The DRDs tell me that Chiana and Jothee are en route to the Maintenance Bay. I believe they are planning to leave in one of the transport pods," he said, in his calm tone. Even though Moya was badly injured and Aeryn had died, Pilot had somehow managed to maintain his cool and collected tone of voice.

"What?" Zhaan said, surprised. She tapped the comm on her sleeve. "Chiana? What are you doing?"

"Leaving," Chiana answered after a few microts. "Gonna go see Crichton."

"Chiana, John said that –"

"Yeah, I know, Zhaan, okay?" Chiana responded. "He said he wants to be alone. But I don't trust him, and I'm sure as hezmana not going to leave him there. He needs us, Zhaan. I'm worried about John."

Zhaan frowned, her brow creasing. Chiana never called Crichton by his first name – except when she was really scared or worried. "Chiana? Give me a few microts. I'm coming with you."

Another pause. "Sure, okay. But don't tell D'Argo, all right?"

"I'll be there in thirty microts."

Zhaan turned to Pilot, resting a hand along his cheek. He lifted a claw to softly touch Zhaan's hand, and then said, "Go, Zhaan. Crichton needs you more than I do at the moment. I… appreciate… your presence, as does Moya."

Zhaan smiled at him. "May Kahaynu bless you, Pilot." Then she turned and left.

~~~

   [1]: http://www.crosswinds.net/~lyme/



	2. Broken

Part 2: Broken

~~~

The sound of footfalls that had echoed throughout the complex for what seemed to be arns had finally faded. As far as John could tell, he was alone. Scorpius and his men had apparently departed.

John felt a sudden pang of regret that he'd insisted that his friends not be present for his operation. Perhaps, if they had been there, they could've prevented Scorpius from taking the chip. _No_, he told himself. _No more time for recriminations. I would've-should've. But I didn't. And it's no one's fault but my own._

He closed his eyes again, and pulled at the restraints half-heartedly. He was impatient. John had expected to die – no, he'd resigned himself to it. At least he'd get to see Aeryn again. But Fate was frelling with him again – and he was still alive. And alone, with no one to put him out of his misery.

As he meditated on these self-pitying thoughts, a new sound intruded. Footfalls, again. He wondered if Scorpius had changed his mind and was on his way back to kill him after all. But no – these footfalls were cautious, stealthy… and scared?

Hope suddenly jumped up in John's chest. Could it possibly be…?

~~~

Upon landing the pod, Chiana's anxiety doubled almost immediately. She glanced at Zhaan, but was not surprised to find a similar preoccupied look on her face. Jothee seemed to be the only one oblivious to the suddenly ominous atmosphere that hung over the complex. They exited the pod cautiously, looking around.

The area was deserted.

"Zhaan? I don't like this. It's too quiet."

Zhaan only nodded. Chiana looked at Jothee, who had finally also picked up on the sense of something being terribly… off. He stood close to Chiana, nervously fidgeting with his overcoat.

"Chiana, are there any weapons on the transport pod?" Zhaan asked suddenly.

Chiana said, "I don't know, Zhaan. Let me check." Chiana disappeared up the stairs of the pod. A few microts later, she emerged, carrying a pulse pistol and two pulse rifles. She handed the rifles to Jothee and Zhaan, keeping the pistol for herself.

"Something terrible has happened here," Zhaan observed. "Goddess protect us."

~~~

The trio moved through the complex swiftly and fairly quietly. At every turn, they encountered more and more cryotubes, containing an endless variety of species. As they worked their way closer and closer to the doctor's laboratory, where they'd last left Crichton, their feeling of dread grew. They had been in the complex for nearly a quarter arn, and they had not encountered either the Diagnosan or Grunchlk.

"Where the frell is everyone?" Jothee asked quietly.

Zhaan suddenly drew in a deep breath, and held up a hand, stopping both Chiana and Jothee in their tracks. She pointed to the ground in front of them.

"Oh, no," Chiana murmured.

The frost-covered ground had been disturbed recently. Boot prints marked the path of at least half a dozen people. And they were leading in the direction of the laboratory.

"Who do you think it is?" Chiana asked. "Peacekeepers?"

Zhaan's jaw tightened, as did Jothee's grip on his rifle. "Scorpius," Zhaan spat.

"Are they still here, do you think?" Jothee asked. His eyes had taken on a look of tightly controlled panic.

"No. I don't hear anything. Jothee, you're half Luxan, can't you smell them?"

"I'm _only_ half Luxan. My sense of smell isn't as developed as a Luxans. And there's too many species here; it's interfering. But, yes, I do smell Sebaceans," he said.

"If Scorpius was here, then… oh, no. Crichton," Chiana said. "We've got to find him." She strode forward, ignoring Zhaan's hiss of warning to be careful. Chiana broke into a run, finding her way to the lab. Jothee took off after her, leaving Zhaan with no choice but to follow.

~~~

"Oh, God." The words fell from Chiana's lips. She stood in the doorway, looking at the scene that had suddenly paralyzed her. Zhaan came to a halt behind her.

"By the Goddess," Zhaan gasped, her face a portrait of horror. "John?"

The man laid out on the table squirmed, trying to get a look at who had called him. He uttered a string of unintelligible syllables, in her direction. Although Zhaan couldn't understand what he said, she understood his urgent tone.

"John, what? I – I can't understand," she said, coming quickly to his side, carefully avoiding the corpse of Tocot. She took his hand, gripping it firmly.

He muttered something again, just as incomprehensibly. Zhaan turned to look at Chiana, feeling helpless. She saw that Jothee had put his arm around Chiana's shoulders, hoping to comfort her. "Chiana, come here. Take his hand."

Chiana pulled herself from Jothee's side, doing as Zhaan instructed. "Hey, old man," she said brokenly, trying to hold back tears. Zhaan moved around towards Crichton's head, examining the grievous wounds there.

John gibbered something in response to Chiana. She hushed him, and said, "Just hold on, okay, John? We're gonna get you outta this. Right, Zhaan? Right?" Chiana looked up at Zhaan. "Why can't I understand what he's saying? Are his microbes frelled up?"

Zhaan probed carefully at the hole. "No, no. As far as I can tell, the chip has been removed," Zhaan said, looking up at Chiana. A spark of hope had generated in her eyes.

"But why did Scorpius leave him here? And, if the chip's been removed, where is it?" Jothee asked.

Zhaan searched the table of instruments that had been laid out. There was no sign of anything that looked as if it could have possibly come from the inside of the Human's head. "I don't know, I don't know," she said. "And it appears he cannot tell us himself. There is a way…"

"What, Zhaan?" Chiana asked, cocking her head.

"I… I could try to enter Unity with John again," she said nervously. Only arns ago, she'd attempted the same, and it had ended disastrously. The chip had taken control and nearly broken Zhaan's calm. But if the chip was gone…

Zhaan steeled herself. There was no other option. If she were to discover what had occurred, she would have to do it.

~~~

Scorpius exited the marauder that had returned him and his troops to the command carrier. Braca moved to his side immediately, ready to execute any order.

"Sir, what do you wish us to do with the body of the defector?"

"For the moment, nothing. Move it to a secure med lab, and keep her in stasis. I shall deal with her when the time is right," Scorpius answered.

"And Grunchlk?"

"Put him in a cell. Alone. I want a constant guard on him. Do not leave him unsupervised for a microt, do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," Braca said. He turned and began giving orders.

Scorpius strolled out of the bay and towards the captain's quarters, which he'd taken as his own after Crais had defected. He entered the large room to find a pleasant surprise – Officer Nerz, the assistant who had been injured at the depository, was present.

"I trust you are well, then?" he asked. He was surprised to see her – she had been released back to duty earlier than expected.

"Sir," she said curtly, with a nod of her head. "And I trust you are better than well?"

"Yes, yes," Scorpius said, a smile crossing his features for a microt. "I was not expecting to see you back on duty so soon. But it is a pleasure." He noticed that the med techs had done their job well – there was almost no scarring left from the jellifan paste that had nearly killed her.

"And Crichton, sir?" Nerz asked.

"Crichton is no longer a concern. I now have the wormhole technology."

~~~

Zhaan gripped John's head firmly between both hands. She had left him secured to the table, fearing any unnecessary movement would cause him further injury. So, instead, she had seated herself beside him. As she lowered her forehead to his and mentally prepared herself, she said a quick prayer to Kahalen.

The light engulfed them both suddenly and with a faster pace than it had ever done before. She felt her consciousness merge with John's, and she opened her eyes – no; their eyes, and found herself staring, somehow, into his – or were they hers?

"Zhaan?" his voice echoed in her head. "Can you understand me?"

"Yes, John, I can. What has happened here?"

"Scorpius did. He came in. He killed the doctor and took the chip. He said he wanted me to live, so that I'd suffer." John's voice sounded hollow, devoid of hope. Something in Zhaan shrank at the sound, but she blocked that feeling before he could sense it.

"Oh, John," she breathed in sorrow. "I am so sorry. But I don't understand – why can we not understand you?"

"The doctor said that the chip was near my speech centers, or something. He had to frell with them to remove the chip. He said he was going to put them back, but he didn't get a chance." His voice broke on the last word.

Zhaan calmed herself, attempting to extend the feeling to him. His soul was raging – anger, hatred, sorrow, and guilt all fought for dominance. Below it, she could sense the old John who had comforted her all those monens ago on the New Moon of Delvia, but it was a faint spark, barely there.

"Do you think you can fix me?" he asked. She could sense that he knew the answer before he'd asked it.

"John, I am a healer at best, but I am no surgeon. I know almost nothing about your nervous system! The best I can hope to do is to repair your skull, so that we may leave this place."

She felt him close his – their – eyes, and his sorrow deepen. "Is there any chance that you can heal the doctor?"

"No, John, I'm sorry. He's dead."

"Fine. Patch me up. Get me the hell off this planet."

A moment later, the contact was broken. Zhaan was left staring down into John's eyes. He stared back, his gaze dull. Zhaan ached with the lingering feel of his grief. "I will do my best, John," she said, wiping at her eyes, which had grown wet.

She drew in a breath and turned to face Chiana and Jothee, who were watching her expectantly. "It was Scorpius. He took the chip, as we suspected. John can't speak, because removing the chip had an effect on the speech centers in his brain."

"Can you fix him?" Chiana asked numbly.

Zhaan said, "No. I cannot repair the damage done to his speech centers. We must find another surgeon to do that. However, I may be able to replace his skull, so that we may leave this place."

"How can we help?" Chiana asked.

~~~


	3. Fixed?

Part 3: Fixed?

~~~

Several arns later, Zhaan wiped an arm across her eyes exhaustedly. She had done it; she had managed to successfully repair Crichton's head with Chiana's help. It had been an arduous process, but she had managed.

She turned to Chiana, who was wearing a translucent smock similar to her own. "We are finished," she said, simply.

Chiana nodded tiredly, looking down at Crichton. Her smock was spattered in places with is blood. "How're you feeling?" she asked.

Crichton looked up at her, and then slowly raised his fist and extended the thumb.

"Good? Good," she said, pasting a smile on her face. She turned and left the laboratory.

"John, I'm going to give you a sedative now. It should help you sleep, and speed the healing antibodies I've injected into your bloodstream. Will you be alright?" Zhaan removed her gloves, and took his hand, squeezing it.

John nodded slowly, and squeezed Zhaan's hand in return. Zhaan placed the injector against his neck and pressed the trigger. A few microts later, he was sleeping soundly. Zhaan turned to face D'Argo, Stark, and Jothee.

After Zhaan had begun the operation, Jothee had returned to Moya in the transport pod to tell the others. D'Argo had initially been incensed to discover that Chiana had gone against his wishes. However, his concern for John's condition had overridden his anger, and he had quickly made his way to the planet.

"How is he, Zhaan?" he asked softly.

"Not well, I'm afraid," she answered. "I had to enter Unity with him again."

Stark moved to her side quickly, helping her out of her smock. "Was that wise, Zhaan?" he asked.

"I had no other choice. The chip had been removed, so it was relatively safe. He is at war with himself. He is so incredibly angry. I had never sensed that John could be capable of so much rage," she said sadly. 

"Scorpius," D'Argo snarled. "That bastard did this to him."

Jothee laid a hand on his father's forearm. "Dad, calm down."

"No! I will not calm down. John has suffered at the mercy of that frelling chip for well over a cycle. And when he needed my help, I failed him. It is all I can do now to avenge him."

"D'Argo!" Zhaan admonished sharply. "Now is not the time for such talk. It has been a long day. We have all suffered greatly, and Crichton has suffered the worst. I suggest we retire, and wait for what tomorrow brings."

"She's right, D'Argo," Stark agreed. "Crichton must heal first. Then we can worry about Scorpius."

Chiana reentered the lab, her smock gone. "Have you been able to contact Crais yet?" she asked.

"No. I've been coming him for the past four arns, and Pilot says that Talyn won't respond either," Rygel said, maneuvering his thronesled towards the group. He had remained outside of the laboratory for the majority of the operation, claiming that such things were below a personage of his power. However, Zhaan suspected that Rygel had a weak stomach when it came to such matters.

"And how is Moya?" D'Argo asked.

"Pilot says she's doing better. Well, at least, that's what he said when the effect of the drugs wore off for me to understand him."

"Was Pilot able to detect the Peacekeeper ships, Rygel?" Stark asked.

"No. He says that because of the drugs, he was unable to detect their presence in the area. Did anyone find Groundslip?"

Stark shook his head. "No, there is no sign of him. I suspect he left or was taken with the Peacekeepers."

Rygel muttered to himself, heading towards the door of the laboratory. "I'll be waiting in the transport pod."

Zhaan sighed heavily. Such a tragic day, indeed. "Who will stay with Crichton tonight? I would, but I am tired, and I need rest. And now that Tocot is dead, and Greenslick is missing, I also have to attend to Moya's injuries."

"I will stay with him," D'Argo said, placing a hand on Crichton's shoulder. "Zhaan, is it necessary to keep him in restraints?"

"For the moment. I do not know if the operation will have any side effects. It is best to keep him secured, so he cannot injure himself."

D'Argo nodded, and then pulled a seat over to the table. "Go. I will be with him. If there is a change, I will call for you."

"Thank you, sweet D'Argo," Zhaan said with a smile.

The others turned to leave, slowly filtering out of the room. D'Argo looked up, and then softly called, "Chiana?"

She paused, and then walked to his side, looking nervous. "Yeah, D'Argo?" It was clear that she feared recrimination for her actions.  
  


"You were right to worry. I was wrong, Chiana. I am sorry."

Chiana smiled at him and took his hand. "It's okay, D'Argo. Look, I'm gonna back to Moya with the others, okay? I'm tired, too."

D'Argo nodded. "All right. I will see you in the morning."

~~~

Crais stood on Talyn's command, trying to calm the ship. "Yes, Talyn, I know your mother has been trying to contact us," Crais said again. "Do not respond!"

Talyn beeped in a manner that sounded almost indignant.

Crais paused a second. "Talyn, I ordered you not to speak with Moya!" He went to continue, when Talyn beeped again, interrupting him. "What? Talyn, open a comm line to Pilot."

Crais paced impatiently in the microts it took for Talyn to establish a link. When Pilot appeared on his screen, Crais stopped, facing the huge creature.

"Crais. We have been attempting to contact you for the past four arns," Pilot said. "There has been a situation on the planet."

"Yes, Talyn has told me as much. What has happened?"

"Scorpius. He was on the planet, and he attacked Crichton. Scorpius now has the wormhole technology," Pilot stated simply.

Crais tried to hide his surprise. Talyn had told him of no Peacekeeper vessels in the area – but then, he supposed it was possible that they had come in on a stealth trajectory. "And Crichton?" he asked, his voice tight.

"I'm not… sure. The chip has been removed, but Zhaan has been unable to determine the side effects as of yet. All we know is that he cannot speak."

Crais nodded sharply. "Thank you, Pilot."

"Crais? Moya and I wish to express our gratitude. If not for Talyn, she would most likely have died from the injuries she has sustained."

Crais looked up at the image of Pilot. "Thank Talyn," he said flatly, cutting the comm link. Without a backward glance, he left command, heading towards his quarters.

~~~

"So?" Rygel asked as he pushed his emptied plate away from him. "What do we do now?"

The crew had gathered in the center chamber for a morning meal, however, it seemed that Rygel was the only one with an appetite. As they ate, Pilot told them of his conversation with Crais.

"We go back down to the planet, and check on D'Argo and Crichton," Chiana said, clearing her place. She prepared a small bundle of food cubes to take down for John and D'Argo, not doubting that they would be hungry.

"Yes, yes. But what do we do about Crais?"

Zhaan looked up from her tray, where the great majority of her meal still sat. "For now, nothing. We have more pressing concerns." She smiled briefly as Stark took her hand and squeezed it in comfort.

"Well, let's go then. I don't like this place; not while there's Peacekeepers in the area," Jothee remarked. He stood and walked swiftly from the central chamber.

The others watched him go. "So much like his father," Zhaan remarked. 

"Yeah. Just don't tell him that," Chiana said.

~~~

The transport pod landed on the deserted planet, and the crew followed their footsteps back to the medical lab. There the found D'Argo, sitting in a position almost identical to the one in which they'd left him. As the entered, he reached for his pulse rifle, momentarily alarmed.

"D'Argo, how is he?" Zhaan asked, moving to Crichton's side.

"Still asleep. He has not done well these past few arns."

"How so?"

"I believe he has been having nightmares," D'Argo said. "He tried to get free, but I managed to subdue him."

"That is understandable under these circumstances. Chiana has brought some food for you. You should rest," she said, resting a hand on his shoulder.

D'Argo stood, slinging the rifle over his shoulder. He walked from the room, leaving for the transport pod. Chiana followed him, and Rygel and Jothee left together, claiming to want to explore their surroundings further for any clues or information. Zhaan and Stark were left alone to tend to Crichton.

Zhaan sighed as she ran the scanner over his body, studying his readings. 

"Zhaan?" Stark inquired, reading her saddened expression.

"He appears to be healing, physically. The antibodies I gave him have speeded the healing process. With luck, we'll be able to leave this forsaken place within a solar day or two. However, mentally… John will never be the same. Part of him has died – the better part – with Aeryn."

"She really meant that much to him, didn't she?"

"More than you could know, Stark. I felt it when I shared Unity with him. His pain over her death…" Zhaan trailed off. "He did nothing to deserve what this universe has given him. He was so innocent when he first came aboard Moya. Can you believe he refused to carry a weapon – he didn't even know how to fire a pulse rifle. We – this life – have ruined an innocent soul."

"People change, Zhaan," Stark offered.

"Yes, but Crichton has been changed for the worse. Aeryn was his anchor. Scorpius and his frelling chip have removed her from his life. Without her, John will be lost." Zhaan slammed the scanner down on the table. Stark came to her, holding her, as she shed quiet tears of anger and sorrow for her friend.

~~~

Rygel and Jothee traveled slowly through the large complex, looking at the endless rows of frozen bodies. The sight was awe-inspiring, and they kept their voices low, as if in reverence.

"So many bodies," Jothee murmured. "What could they possibly need all of them for?"

"You'd be surprised how much criminals will pay," Rygel answered. "People like Grunchlk have no qualms about dealing with criminals. Which is why they probably dealt with us so willingly."

Suddenly, they realized where their wanderings had taken them. They were back in the row where Aeryn's body had been stored. Rygel shifted uncomfortably.

"Rygel, what were you imprisoned for? I mean, I know most of what the others have done – or have been accused of doing – but I haven't heard about you yet," Jothee said.

The Hynerian snorted. "Figures. I was the dominar of Hyneria. Rightfully, too. And then my probacto of a cousin, Bishan, contacted the Peacekeepers and – _yotz_!" 

Jothee turned to Rygel in surprise. Rygel was facing an empty section in the row. It wasn't what he saw, but what he didn't see that had upset him. On the ground lay a Qualta blade, and a medallion of some sort.

"She's gone!" Rygel gasped.

~~~

John's eyes snapped open suddenly, as he came out of his drug-induced sleep. He looked around his surroundings, first noticing the cold. Then, the sterility. Medical lab. He was in a medical facility on the icy planet where everything had changed for the worse.

He heard the shifting sounds of someone beside him. Zhaan. He could recognize the swish of her robes. 

"John, can you hear me?"

He nodded silently. He didn't dare speak – he feared what would come out. Instead, he pulled himself up and looked at Zhaan. She brought a cup of cool water to him, and he drank thirstily. After a few microts, she spoke. "I know you can't speak. But Chiana came up with a way for you to communicate with us."

John raised his eyebrows questioningly. A moment later, Zhaan produced an object that resembled a pen, and some of the transparent printouts that usually held blueprints of Moya. John took the stylus, and began writing immediately.

"Good idea. How are the others? Did the surgery go well? When can we leave?"

He handed the sheet to Zhaan, who looked it over. "Thank you. The others are doing as well as they can. As for the surgery, you are up, and coherent. I assume that means that I did the best job that I could. And we are almost ready to leave as I speak. You've been out for nearly two solar days, healing." She handed the sheet back to him.

"Fine, let's go. I don't want to be here any longer than we need to," he wrote.

"Yes, John. First, I want to scan you again, to make sure that there isn't any complications that I may have missed," she said, as she stood and moved to push him back down. She ran the scanner over him several times, noting the readings, until she was satisfied.

"D'Argo," she called into her comm. "John is awake. Are you prepared to leave?"

"We are nearly finished loading the transport pod with supplies," his gruff voice answered. "Have you told him yet?"

Zhaan hesitated. Behind her, John made a garbled attempt at speech. Although she could not understand the words, the intent was quite obvious. She closed her eyes and mentally cursed D'Argo for his bad timing. "No, D'Argo. I was just about to."

John spoke again, the same tone in his voice. Zhaan turned to him. "John, this will not be easy for you to take," she warned. "Scorpius took the chip and left; this much you already know. When he left, he also apparently took Grensock. We don't know if he is alive or dead. He also took Aeryn's body."

John's eyes widened for a moment as he looked at her. Then, slowly, he buried his face in his hands. Zhaan came to him as his shoulders began to shake, pulling him into an embrace. At first, he fought her, but he was soon overcome with his grief and gave in.

After a few dozen microts, he pulled himself away, wiping at his eyes. He took the stylus and a printout. "I want to get that frelling bastard, Zhaan," he wrote. "I need to kill him, for Aeryn."

~~~


	4. Rebirth

Part 4: Rebirth

~~~

Scorpius regarded Grunchlk from the corner of his eye. The disgusting man stood in the med lab, his hands bound as med techs bustled around him. In the center of the room, the cryopod lay, hooked up to various machines.

"You can unfreeze her?" Scorpius asked.

Grunchlk nodded quickly. Anything to get Scorpius off his back. He hadn't been fed in nearly a weekan, and Scorpius knew it. "Well, I can unfreeze her, but I don't know if I can revive her. She was nearly dead when we put her in."

"You will remove the defector from cryostasis, and make sure that she remains alive. If you fail to do so, you will be killed. Do you understand me?"

Grunchlk nodded vigorously.

"You, Officer Pelkan," Scorpius commanded. The soldier pulled himself up straighter, nervous in the halfbreed's presence. "I am entrusting you to contact me as soon as the process has been completed. Failure to do so will be severely punished."

"Yes, sir," Pelkan said, gulping to himself.

"Good. I will be in my quarters." With that, Scorpius exited the med lab.

Grunchlk breathed a sigh of relief, until Pelkan caught him. "What are you waiting for? You heard what Scorpius said – get working."

Grunchlk held up his hands. "Well, maybe I could, if I weren't cuffed."

Pelkan sighed, and stepped forward to unlock the bindings. "You make one false move, and I will see to it that you won't ever move again," he warned. To press his point home, he nudged Grunchlk with the muzzle of his pulse rifle.

"Right, Peacekeeper, right," Grunchlk said. "Now, which of you techs is most familiar with cryogenics?"

~~~

Scorpius entered his quarters, still seething. It had been nearly two weekans since he had retrieved the chip from John Crichton's head, but there had been many difficulties. The neurochip had informed him that all of the information had been gathered. However, the neurochip had either lied, or the Diagnosan had damaged it when he'd removed it from the Human's brain.

In either case, the information was unintelligible. The memories were present – of that, Scorpius was sure. But they were jumbled together with other memories that seemed to have nothing to do with wormholes. Little of it was accessible. And to make matters worse – he couldn't understand the system of measurements used. As far as he could tell, the measurements used were some strange, antiquated Earth system.

The neurochip hadn't been able to decipher the system. For that, Scorpius knew, it would take a Human. And he had left the lone Human in the Uncharted Territories to die on a deserted ice planet. However, he had seen Crichton's friends in action to save him before. It was quite likely that they would do so again. The more Scorpius thought about it, the more sure he became that John Crichton was not dead.

And for this, he was increasingly pleased with his foresight in bringing the Peacekeeper defector's body aboard. It appeared that she would become useful after all.

~~~

Despite his appearance, Grunchlk was not a stupid man. He had been smart enough to strike up a partnership with Diagnosan Tocot, which had made him a very rich man. And although he was nowhere near as skilled as the doctor when it came to medical practices, he had spent more than his fair share in the donor bank taking care of the cryopods.

In fact, the cryopods had been his main responsibility. Grunchlk had spent cycles familiarizing himself with them, and soon had completely taken over the task of freezing and thawing out donor bodies. The Diagnosan had been grateful for Grunchlk's assistance in this area – it was one less job that he'd have to do himself.

And Grunchlk knew that this was the only reason his life had been spared. Scorpius needed him too badly.

Grunchlk stood in the med lab, examining the body of the Sebacean woman. She appeared to be only sleeping, but the blue-tinged pallor of her face told a different tale. She was nearly dead. He worked under the watchful eye of Pelkan, but he soon became immersed in his work and no longer noticed the Peacekeeper's stare. He glanced at a printout of the woman's DNA patterns, then frowned.

He looked again, carefully. Her DNA, while basically Sebacean, contained something strange. Slowly, it dawned on him – at some point, her DNA had been meddled with, and there had been permanent side effects – which included a slight mutation in the basic structure.

"Tech?" he asked, still studying the readout. 

One of the techs that had been assigned to assist him came forward, a slightly annoyed look on her face. Janera Querz was a woman of short stature, with dark eyes and equally dark hair. She had been serving on the command carrier for nearly five cycles – long enough to remember Crais' other projects. "What is it?" she snapped impatiently.

"This woman isn't fully Sebacean. Someone's tinkered with her DNA," Grunchlk said, pointing to the printout. "I can't quite tell what species it is, though."

Querz took the printout from him, scanning it over. For a moment, the mutations looked vaguely familiar. Then, suddenly, it snapped in place. She'd seen them before – over three cycles ago. "Pilot DNA?" she asked. "How the frell did a Peacekeeper grunt like this defector end up with Pilot DNA?"

"Don't know, and it's not my concern," Grunchlk said, a relieved look spreading over his grubby features. "But it's probably saved her life."

~~~

Nerz entered Scorpius' quarters to find him contemplating the information gathered from the chip again. "Sir," she said loudly. "The prisoner, Grunchlk, has said that he has found something that may be able to assure that the defector Aeryn Sun will live."

Scorpius set aside the printouts he had been examining and looked at his assistant expectantly. "Continue."

"Her DNA has been compromised by another species –" Nerz began.

Scorpius cut her off in mid-sentence. "Is it Human?" His face remained inscrutable, but there was a dangerous undertone to his voice.

"No, sir. It appears to be the DNA of a Leviathan's Pilot; most likely taken from the Pilot aboard Moya."

"Ah. I see. Pilots have regenerative anatomies, do they not?" Scorpius asked.

"As far as our med techs have been able to discern, yes. They believe that by possessing this DNA, she will be able to regenerate cells that would otherwise be permanently damaged."

Scorpius picked up the printouts again. "Have the med techs thaw her. As soon as she is revived, I want to be notified. Is that understood?"

"Sir," Nerz said, and exited his chambers.

"Yes, things are coming to fruition now," Scorpius mused. He was almost pleased enough to smile.

~~~

The first thing she noticed upon waking was that she was cold. Freezing. The second thing she noticed was that she couldn't move, and couldn't speak. She barely managed to open her eyes.

The bright lights seared her eyes, and all she could see was white. As she slowly adjusted, she became aware of the sounds. Sounds that were distinct and familiar – sounds that she had spent most of her life hearing. Sounds of a command carrier.

Aeryn Sun felt a ball of dread form in the pit of her stomach. The last thing she could remember was ice water, closing over her head. Had she died? How the frell had she gotten onto a command carrier? Suddenly, a head eclipsed the bright lights.

"I see you're up, eh?" the voice said. "You're lucky. That frelled up DNA of yours saved you."

She knew the face – the doctor's assistant from the ice planet. What had his name been?

Before she could attempt to form a response, the man was pulled back. "You. Go to that corner, now. Pelkan, guard them both. If Grunchlk moves, shoot him, but don't kill him," Braca said. He then turned his attention to Aeryn. "Scorpius wants you alive, traitor. How lucky for you."

He pulled away from her line of sight. Again, she was left unspoken to. She listened to the sounds carefully, trying to force her frozen limbs to move. Aeryn soon discerned that she was in a med lab. From what she could understand of the techs that bustled about, occasionally crossing her vision, she indeed been frozen. She had been on the verge of death.

As soon as she had discovered this, she grew bored with the knowledge. There were more pressing concerns. If she was on the command carrier, had the others also been captured? More importantly – had Crichton been captured? Was he dead even now, or being tortured? If he'd not been taken, did he know that she was alive?

The train of worried thoughts was cut off as Scorpius entered the room, Nerz and Braca trailing in his wake. He stopped several hentas from where she lay on a medical table, studying her.

"Former Officer Aeryn Sun, prowler pilot. Pleisar regiment, Icarion company, if I am not mistaken," he said in a conversational voice. "Deemed irreversibly contaminated by Crais, weren't you? Because of John Crichton." He paused again, regarding her. "Now we know the true extent of your contamination. You are not even fully a Sebacean any longer, not to mention being Crichton's trelk."

A cold fury rose in Aeryn, but her state of paralysis wouldn't allow her to act on it. The best she could do was make a low, guttural sound in her throat. It's meaning was apparently not lost on Scorpius.

"Ah. I suppose you have many questions, hmm? I suppose you would like to know what has become of Crichton and the others, yes?" he looked away from her, towards Grunchlk. "How much longer until she is fully recovered?"

Grunchlk shook his head and then shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno. Could be a few solar days. I've never had anyone live alive long enough after being thawed out to get better."

"Pelkan, escort Grunchlk back to his cell. As for Officer Sun, I want her in high security containment. No one is allowed to enter her cell besides me. Is that understood, Braca?"

"Sir," Braca nodded. "What about medical attention?"

Scorpius stared at him scathingly. Braca quailed under the glare. "My orders stand, Lieutenant Braca."

~~~

The room was always the same. Constant. The lights never changed, and there were no windows. She hadn't seen anyone in… however long it had been since she had been placed here. On occasion, the sound of boots stamping past the room reached her, but more often than not, the silence was deafening.

Aeryn's cell was sterile, to say the least. There was a commode and sink, made of cold metal. A small cot slumped against the wall. The lights, which were never dimmed and never grew brighter were set in the ceiling, protected from any prisoner who might try to break them. And then there was the camera, which monitored her constantly, like an impassive eye. 

She couldn't remember being moved to the cell. Aeryn had fallen back into an unconscious state not long after Scorpius had appeared. The next time she had awoken, she had already been installed into her cell.

For days, she slipped in and out of a dreamless sleep. Her body was slowly recuperating from the effects of the freezing process, a recovery that would have been speeded by proper medical attention and care. Occasionally, when she woke, she would find a tray of food cubes and water on the floor beside the cot. Occasionally, she mustered enough strength to eat and drink. But she never saw anyone. All meals were brought when she was sleeping. 

Initially, after she had regained some strength, she had begun trying to keep track of the time. The meals seemed to come at regular intervals – twice a day. But she soon lost count. Was it night, or day? How much time had passed? The lights made it impossible to track the passage of time, and she gave up.

At nearly every moment, she expected soldiers to burst through the door and kill her – or worse, induce the living death. But it never happened. Aeryn passed her time slowly. At first, she had been too weak to even walk. Soon, she was making stumbling progress around the confines of her cell, ever aware of the camera. Not long after that, she began to exercise again.

The cryostasis had weakened her muscles, and it showed when she began her regimen. She had to move slowly, gradually rebuilding her strength. She knew that any attempts to escape would be precarious at best, and she needed to be in the best shape possible. 

And the camera still watched, and no one came. The silence and isolation was beginning to get to her. Aeryn had too much time to think, and even more time to worry over her friends. Especially Crichton.

~~~

John stood by the transport pod, watching the crowd. His right hand never strayed far from the holster where his pistol sat. He waited, watching as the inhabitants of another commerce planet went about the business of living. Soon, he spotted the distinct blue hue of Zhaan, threading its way towards him.

As soon as she arrived, he looked at her expectantly, the question in his eyes. The same question he'd asked on every stop they'd made.

"I'm sorry, John. I asked around the market place; there have been no sightings of a Peacekeeper command carrier in the area," she said, shaking her head.

His shoulders slumped immediately. Zhaan came to him, taking his arm. They'd been searching for nearly two monens. Two monens, and no one had seen a marauder, let alone a command carrier.

"We'll find them, John. No matter how long it takes," she said. He nodded numbly, allowing Zhaan to lead him back to the transport.

As soon as they had entered, he took out the pad and stylus he'd been using to communicate. "The others?"

"Rygel is trying to make deals again. We may be able to pick up something tastier than food cubes here. Jothee, Chiana, and D'Argo have the other pod; they will be able to bring the supplies aboard. It's best that we get you off the planet. The local populace does not have a high opinion of Peacekeepers here."

He nodded again, and let Zhaan pilot the pod back to Moya as he stewed in his gloomy thoughts. The past two monens had been difficult on all of them. Pilot had been taking Aeryn's loss almost as badly as Crichton. What was worse was that Pilot refused to have any interaction with John. He was still blaming him for Aeryn's death.

Soon after leaving the atmosphere of the planet, Moya and Talyn came into view, hulking masses among the other ships that waited in orbit around the planet. They had all been surprised when Crais had agreed to join them in searching for the command carriers – all of them, save Crichton. He knew that Crais, too, had a vendetta to settle with Scorpius. Scorpius had put him in the chair as well.

However, Crais had remained, for the most part, on Talyn. John also suspected another reason behind Crais' presence: Talyn had been growing more and more independent of Crais' command in the past months. He had responded to Moya's cry for help against his wishes, and if Talyn wanted to remain with his mother as she healed, there was little Crais would be able to do, short of leaving the ship.

All told, Crichton still refused to trust Crais, even though the others were slowly allowing him growing measures of trust. As much as John distrusted Crais, he also knew that he might prove useful.

~~~


	5. Search

Part 5: Search

~~~

Finally, the isolation ended. It ended without warning or much fanfare. The door to Aeryn's cell opened, and two Peacekeepers entered. Although they were armed, neither seemed to consider her to be much of a threat. They were wrong.

Aeryn saw her chance, and immediately attacked. She took the one on the left first, lashing out with her foot. It met with a satisfying crunch, and the soldier grunted in pain as grabbed for his thigh. Spinning, she struck out at the other soldier with her forearm, catching him beneath the chin. He stumbled backwards, and she moved in for the kill.

And then she was being yanked back, a strong arm clasped around her neck, cutting off her air. She tried to ram her elbow back into her new assailant's gut, but met only air. A split microt later, her arms were pinned behind her back. 

"Ahh. I see you still have the fighting spirit, Officer Sun," Scorpius breathed into her ear. "Luckily, I came prepared for such an event."

She heard the sound of metal scraping metal, and moments later felt the restraints being tightened on her wrists. Scorpius released her, pushing her towards the cot. Aeryn spun quickly, taking in the new situation. Behind Scorpius were Lieutenant Braca and Officer Nerz. They were flanked by two more soldiers, both with their pulse rifles pointed directly at Aeryn.

At a gesture from Scorpius, Nerz quickly examined the two fallen soldiers. "This one's got a broken leg," she murmured, "and the other is unconscious, but unharmed."

Scorpius nodded. "Impressive. Officer Nerz, have one of the guards assist you in bringing them to the med lab. They will be suitably punished later."

Microts later, they were gone. Now, only Scorpius, Braca, and the other guard remained.

"I trust you are well, then, Officer Sun?"

"Frell you," she spat.

"Not likely," he replied in a conversational tone. 

He strode forward, denches from her now. Aeryn refused to budge, to show her fear to him. She stared forward stonily, until he reached out and pushed her. She stumbled backwards and fell to a sitting position on the cot.

"You have information I need. There are two ways that I can retrieve this information. You can tell me, or I can extract it from you using the Aurora Chair."

Aeryn scoffed. "Your Aurora Chair? Did you forget that it burned with the rest of the Gammak base, Scorpius?"

Scorpius' expression hardened. "Do you think that I am stupid enough to have built only one? That I was incapable of building another, traitor? The Chair is very real. You will have twenty-four arns to decide, Officer Sun. But either way, I will get the information I seek."

He swept out of the room, and Aeryn was left alone again.

~~~

Chiana stopped in the doorway of Aeryn's room. She'd been searching for Crichton for nearly an arn. His back was turned to her, and he was sitting on Aeryn's cot. She should have known to check here first. "Hey," she said softly.

He jumped, then turned to look at her while tucking something into his pocket. Then, he offered her a big smile and waved her in. She knew immediately that the smile was false.

She slipped in the doorway, "Where've you been? We've been trying to find you. Dinner's in less than a half an arn," she said. 

John took out his pad. "Not hungry," was all he wrote.

Chiana sighed and sat down next to him. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her chin on his shoulder. "I know you're upset, old man," she murmured. "We're gonna find him, okay? We all miss Aeryn. Even Rygel," she said, earning a wan smile for her joke. "But if you don't eat, you're not gonna be in any condition to take on Scorpius."

John nodded, and they stood. As they left Aeryn's old quarters, John paused and looked over the room again. He had kept everything as it was when she lived.

~~~

Arns had passed. Aeryn couldn't know how many, but she knew to expect Scorpius' return at any time. No food had arrived for her; but she understood that this was part of his plan to try and convince her to talk.

Then, the door swung open again, and Scorpius entered. This time, Aeryn did not attempt to attack him or the guards that flanked him. "Officer Sun. Have you made a decision?"

Aeryn hesitated. "What do you expect me to tell you?"

Scorpius took it as a sign that she was willing to tell him what she knew. "Why, I want to know everything you know about wormholes, of course."

"Why ask me? You have the chip, don't you? Just ask it," she said.

"The chip has its… limitations. Especially where measurements are concerned. I do not understand the Earth measurement systems. You have lived with Crichton for over two cycles."

"I don't know anything about wormholes, other than one brought Crichton here, and you're trying to make one," Aeryn answered, crossing her arms over her chest.

Scorpius stared at her. "You're lying. I will give you one more chance to tell me what you know."

Aeryn felt the dread building up in her stomach. She had seen what the chair had done to Crichton and Stark. The only thing she hadn't told Scorpius would be of no concern to him – it wouldn't help him. She remained silent.

"Nerz, prepare the Aurora Chair. Bring her," he said briskly, as he turned to leave.

As the guards closed in on her, she attempted to fight them back. But they were numerous, and they overwhelmed her.

~~~

"Again," Scorpius called to Nerz. 

A moment later, the pain shot through her again, and Aeryn gritted her teeth to hold back a scream. More memories flashed by on the view screen, almost to fast to identify. Then they slowed to reveal flashes of the Dam Ba Da depot. Crichton in the cockpit, Aeryn in front of her. The proto-wormhole.

Scorpius watched in interest from over her shoulder. "Interesting. However, I already have this information. Continue."

The images sped up again, and the pain increased tenfold. Suddenly, Scorpius called out again. "Stop! There!"

On the screen was the image of the wormhole that led to "Earth". The one that had caused so much trouble for the entire crew. Scorpius watched the images as they flitted across the screen.

"The Ancients, again," he mused aloud. Suddenly, the images flickered. A new image appeared: that of Aeryn and John, together in a darkened room. In bed. "A trelk indeed. Crais was correct to have you declared contaminated," he said.

Aeryn closed her eyes, humiliated to have such intimate memories displayed for anyone to see. As Scorpius taunted her with his comments, she felt her anger and hatred deepening. Suddenly, she understood the utter fear and rage John had directed at Scorpius for the past cycle. She felt it now.

"Is that everything?" Scorpius asked.

"Yes. It appears that she has no other memories that are relevant to the wormhole technology," Nerz answered. "Shall I have have her disposed?"

"No. She may have another use. Return her to her cell."

~~~

The message came the next day. D'Argo had been in Command when Pilot commed him, informing him that there was a signal coming through. D'Argo had watched the brief recording in disbelief. Then he'd called the others, including Crais.

"Where is he?" D'Argo snarled.

"Relax, D'Argo. He had to fly a transport over," Stark said. He looked across the table to Zhaan for support.

Chiana spoke up. "What's so important that you had to call us all up to Command, D'Argo? Is it about Aeryn?"

"D'Argo. Crais has just docked. He should be with you in a matter of microts," Pilot informed. He, too, had been invited to the meeting, and his image was visible in the clamshell.

"Thank you, Pilot. I will show you when Crais arrives, Chiana," he repeated.

Microts later, Crais strode into the room. John's eyes narrowed instantly, and almost instinctively, his hand went to the pistol strapped to his leg. He felt foolish, and mentally chastised himself. Crais could do nothing with the others all present.

"What is so important?" Crais asked in an impatient tone.

"Pilot, play the recording," D'Argo said.

The main viewscreen in command suddenly darkened, and then an image appeared. The entire crew gasped almost reflexively.

"Hello again, Crichton," Scorpius said. "Once more, I require your… assistance." Scorpius paused, seeming to search for words. "I have the traitor Aeryn Sun. This you probably already know. What you do not know is that she is alive."

The image flickered again, and they now saw the interior of what appeared to be a cell. In a few microts, they realized that they were being shown an image from a security camera. On the screen, a dark haired figure lay prone on a small cot, her face turned from the lens. She was still. A microt later, she shifted, confirming that she was, indeed, alive. As she moved to make herself more comfortable, her face became visible.

"_Aeryn_!" Crichton thought wildly. "Alive!"

The image returned to Scorpius' face. "I am offering a simple trade, in two solar days' time. John Crichton for Aeryn Sun. The coordinates for the meeting place have been included in this message. If you do not arrive, I will kill her. If Crichton is not alone, I will kill her."

The screen went blank, and chaos broke out.

~~~

Everyone was talking at once, save Crichton. The mixture of voices got louder and louder as everyone began yelling. John tapped the pad again, trying to get his crewmates' attention. They continued to ignore him. Finally, he stood up and slammed the pad down on the table. He raised his fingers to his mouth and produced an ear-splitting whistle.

_Well, that certainly got their attention_, he thought as everyone stopped speaking, glaring at him. He calmly picked up the pad again and pointed at what he had written. 

Zhaan took the pad from him and read it. She looked up at him, a question in her eyes. John nodded. "Pilot," she asked, "Did you receive the coordinates given for the rendezvous point?"

"Yes, I have them now. It is a desert planet, about half a solar day's travel from our current location."

"Would you please take us there?" Zhaan said.

"Of course."

Crichton suddenly became aware that everyone was staring at him. He smiled weakly. He knew they would ask what they already suspected. Before they could, he turned and left Command.

"He's not…" Chiana began. She couldn't finish the sentence.

"Zhaan, what did he say?" Stark asked.

Zhaan held up the pad and began to read. "Zhaan. Tell Pilot to go to the spot if he's got the coordinates. I'm going to do what he says. I owe Aeryn at least that much."

"He's gone fahrbot!" Rygel declared.

"I agree. I will not allow him to do this," D'Argo said, and he left the room in pursuit of Crichton.

~~~


	6. Trade

Part 6: Trade

~~~

He found his shipmate in the maintenance bay, examining his module. If John had heard him enter, he showed no sign, continuing to pull at wires in the cockpit.

"John, you will not do this," D'Argo said.

John looked up at his head, his jaw set. He nodded vigorously, and then went back to work.

"Crichton, do you realize what Scorpius will do to you if you go to him?"

John looked up again, his eyes on the distant wall of the large room. Suddenly, he grabbed a wrench and hurled it in anger. It clanged to the ground somewhere on the other end. He grabbed his pad and stylus and began to write. After a few microts of hasty scribbling, he tore off the page and shoved it into D'Argo's hand. John lifted himself out of his module and left the maintenance bay.

D'Argo looked at the note, feeling dismayed. "I know exactly what that bastard will do. Don't remind me. Don't try to stop me from going. He killed her once and I have a chance to save her again."

"Frell," D'Argo muttered. He crumpled the sheet, and tossed it to the floor.

~~~

Soon, they had reached the deserted planet Scorpius had designated. Pilot had taken advantage of a large asteroid field located in the system and had hidden Moya within the dense spread of rocks. John Crichton stood alone in the maintenance bay, doing one final check on the Farscape 1 before launch. He wore his jacket and two pistols tucked safely in their holsters.

Suddenly, a heavy hand landed on his shoulder, and he jumped. As he whirled around, he reached for one of his pistols and had it halfway out of its holster before he realized that it was only D'Argo who stood behind him.

"You're not doing this."

The look in Crichton's eyes clearly communicated otherwise.

"Look, John… this is not a good idea. I know you want Aeryn back. We all do."

John raised his eyebrows.

"I'm coming with you," D'Argo stated.

John shook his head no.

"Yes. How will you communicate with them? What if something goes wrong? And what if Aeryn is in no shape to fly your module back to Moya?"

John seemed to be considering these thoughts. Suddenly, his shoulders slumped and he began to write on his pad. "Fine. You can come with. But don't even think of trying something that might get her killed."

D'Argo read the note, then looked at him. "I promise you, never, not in a million cycles."

~~~

Aeryn sat balled up on the cot. Scorpius hadn't come back since her ordeal in the Aurora Chair. No one had come. The meals continued regularly, and Aeryn had nothing but time to worry about what he would do next. She had heard him say that he had another use for her. She dreaded the possibilities.

Suddenly, the heavy door to the cell swung open. Several guards swept in, quickly cuffing her and making sure she posed no threat. Then he entered.

"We are going on a trip, you and I," Scorpius said.

"Frell off," she hissed. It earned her a rifle butt to the stomach, and she grunted, but refused to fall.

Scorpius gave her another appraising look. "The Human is willing to trade his life for yours. It is intriguing that a traitor to her own kind could inspire such… loyalty."

Aeryn's mind raced. Trade? Then, it hit her. Scorpius was using her as bait. John was apparently alive and well, but Scorpius still needed him. Aeryn fervently hoped that Crichton would not take the bait, even though she knew that it would ultimately result in her death.

"You think you can get Crichton that easily, Scorpius?" She said, putting on a brave front. She smirked. "You continue to underestimate him, Scarran. You won't be the first to die as a result." 

Scorpius stepped forward and backhanded her across the face. Aeryn tasted blood. "You are almost more trouble than it is worth, Sun. I shall be glad to be rid of you."

At a signal from him, the guards moved forward and grabbed her by the arms. They dragged her from her cell and towards the docking bay of the massive command carrier.

~~~

The planet was as barren as Pilot had said. For miles, nothing was visible – except for a large outcropping of rocks, the ground was so flat that John could see the actual curvature of the planet's surface. 

He set the module down near the outcropping, which had been designated in the directions. Behind him, D'Argo fidgeted in the module. There was no sign of Scorpius or any Peacekeepers.

"It's too empty," D'Argo muttered. John nodded in agreement.

The exited the module, searching the sky for any sign of an incoming ship. John kept his right hand on the butt of his pistol, staying in the shadow of his module. The day was overcast, and he was glad for it. It fit his mood.

Suddenly, D'Argo spoke. "_There_!" He pointed at the sky, and John looked.

He couldn't find what D'Argo pointed at, and turned to look at him, his eyebrows raised. 

"I have better eyes than you, remember? You should be able to see it within a few microts."

John continued to study the sky, and surely enough, a marauder appeared. He felt the rattlers going in his stomach as he watched it sweep towards him. They grew worse as it set down, and the hatch opened.

Half a dozen heavily armed Peacekeepers came out, quickly taking up positions around the marauder. They moved efficiently, keeping their weapons trained on the Human and Luxan standing beside the small white ship.

Then, Scorpius appeared.

"I believe I told you to come alone, John Crichton. Give me a reason why I shouldn't kill her right now."

John opened his mouth to answer, then turned to D'Argo.

"He can't speak, thanks to you. I am here to make sure you do not go back on your word," D'Argo called. A wind came up, whipping his clothing about his body.

"Ahh, so I trust you had… difficulties with the Diagnosan?" Scorpius called. The mocking tone in his voice was not lost over the distance. John nearly snarled with anger.

"Where is Aeryn Sun?" D'Argo asked.

Scorpius motioned to someone inside the marauder. Braca stepped forward from the interior, pushing Aeryn in front of him. His pulse pistol was planted firmly against Aeryn's temple.

John stared. Alive. She was alive. A short distance from him, the woman he had grieved for for over two monens stood. He couldn't stop himself from trying to speak her name. All that came out was a mishmash of nonsensical syllables.

"Send Crichton over, and we'll release Sun," Braca called.

_Red Rover, Red Rover, send Johnny right over_, John thought crazily. He pulled out his pad and wrote something, then handed it to D'Argo.

"We will meet you halfway between our ship and yours. There, we will exchange," D'Argo read.

"As you wish," Scorpius said lightly.

John frowned, and picked up his pen again. "Something's wrong. This is too easy. Scorpius has something up his sleeve."

"I agree. However, we have no other options."

They started forward, slowly, and Braca matched them step for step, his grip on Aeryn's arm so tight that his knuckles grew white. Aeryn looked around carefully, taking stock of the situation, her jaw tight. The wind picked up again, whipping her loose hair around her face.

It seemed like both an instant and a thousand cycles had passed before they reached the middle ground. D'Argo's blade rested in his hands, converted to rifle form. Crichton nervously fingered the butt of his rifle. Braca watched them carefully, his nervousness showing.

"I don't think so, Crichton," he said, seeming to sense the plan that was forming between the three shipmates. He made a brisk motion with the hand holding the pistol, and in an instant, the outcropping was dotted with Peacekeeper snipers who had been hidden. "You don't really think we'd leave such a thing to chance with your record, do you?" He grinned.

D'Argo hissed in anger. "How very Peacekeeper of you."

"Indeed. Remove your weapons and place them on the ground behind you now, Crichton," Braca commanded.

John pulled the pistols from their holders carefully, moving slowly. He bent, setting them on the hard ground behind his feet.

"Crichton, don't do this," Aeryn said, her voice tightly controlled. "This is madness, and you know it."

He stood back up, looking at her. Emotion after emotion played across his face – anger, guilt, sadness, joy, and finally love.

Braca released Aeryn's arm. "Come here, now. The snipers have been instructed to kill the Luxan and the traitor if you make one false move." He pushed Aeryn forward.

John stepped forward, and suddenly, Aeryn filled his arms. He pulled her close to him, breathing in her scent, his hands slipping through her dark hair. Aeryn's arms slid around his waist, pulling him close. "John, don't do this, please," she whispered.

He hushed her, and their lips met in a bittersweet kiss. It was desperate, filled with the things that neither could express with words. Behind them, Braca snorted in disgust. John pulled away, his hands sliding over Aeryn's face, as if to memorize its shape by touch.

Then Braca was grabbing him, pulling him away. "Let's go, Human."

Crichton turned; his shoulders slumped as he allowed Braca to push him towards the marauder. Aeryn made a move to pick up his pulse pistol and follow him, but D'Argo stopped her. "No," he said simply, shaking his head. "You'll only make things worse."

Moments later, the marauder was lifting off.

~~~

John sat with his hands cuffed behind him in the marauder, staring dejectedly at his feet. She was safe now, with D'Argo. He had to keep telling himself that. He knew that they would attempt to mount a rescue for him; if Aeryn did not insist on it, D'Argo would.

The marauder was crowded with Peacekeeper soldiers. The others still on the planet were to be picked up in another marauder. He could barely spot Scorpius through the bodies, watching him.

Braca leaned towards Scorpius. "Sir," he said in a low voice. "You do realize that his friends will most likely attempt to somehow rescue Crichton, right?"

"Of course, Lieutenant. I would expect no less," Scorpius replied. "I want Crichton prepped for surgery the moment we return to the command carrier. He is no of little use to me while he cannot speak."

"Sir," Braca nodded.

~~~

"Why wouldn't he talk to me?"

Aeryn and D'Argo were seated in the tiny module as it made its way back to the Leviathan. Aeryn drove automatically, her thoughts focused elsewhere.

"You do not know?" D'Argo asked.

"Know what?"

"Crichton can't talk. Scorpius did something to his brain. Then he killed the Diagnosan. Zhaan did her best to restore what she could, but she is no surgeon," D'Argo said.

Aeryn felt a sinking feeling. "Oh," was all she could manage in response.

Microts later, the module was touching down in the docking bay. From the window, Aeryn could see the forms of the crew waiting for her. They looked anxious. She popped the hatch as she powered down John's module. As she got out, she was nearly bowled over as they all rushed to greet her.

"By the Goddess, you are truly here," Zhaan smiled, reaching to embrace Aeryn.

Aeryn returned the embrace gratefully, and was surprised as Chiana reached for her next. "Hey," she said. "You smell like dren."

"I feel like it," Aeryn replied.

One by one, the crew greeted her and welcomed her back. "Crais," Aeryn said, surprised. "What are you still doing here?"

"I agreed to stay to help aid in the search for you, Officer Sun. Talyn, as well, wanted to stay with his mother while she healed," he said.

"And how is Moya? Pilot?" Aeryn turned her attention to the image in the clamshell.

"She is much better, Aeryn. We are both pleased to see you return," Pilot said.

"As am I pleased to be back. However, Scorpius has Crichton now."

"What do you propose we do, Aeryn?" Stark asked.

"I don't know. Not yet," she smiled sadly to herself. "Crazy plans were always Crichton's forte, not mine."

Chiana sighed. "Will you people please stop talking about him like he's dead? I mean, he's survived worse, right? We'll get him back. We have to."

"Chiana's right," Rygel said.

"'Course I am, Your Frogness," Chiana smirked.

"Right now, I need a nice shower and some food. As Chiana said, I smell like dren. I've been in a cell for… how long have I been gone?" Aeryn asked, suddenly.

"Over two monens," D'Argo answered.

"Two monens?" She shook her head. "It seemed longer. I need some time, alone, if you don't mind."

"Of course, Aeryn. As soon as you've bathed, I would like you to stop by the infirmary, though. I would like to examine you and see if Scorpius did any harm," Zhaan said.

"Of course, Zhaan."

~~~


	7. Plans

Part 7: Plans

~~~

Aeryn watched Zhaan from where she sat perched on the bed in the infirmary. Her hair was still wet from her shower, and it felt good to be back in her old clothing again. "So?"

"There appears to be no harm. I don't fully understand why Scorpius and his techs were able to revive you, however. I suspect that the Pilot DNA Namtar injected into you may have played a part in it."

"Yes, I suppose I owe Pilot a debt of gratitude," Aeryn mused. "Zhaan… when I was gone… how…"

"How was John?" Zhaan asked, turning to face Aeryn.

"Yes," Aeryn nodded.

"He was doing badly. John had lost nearly all hope when we first told you that Scorpius had abducted you. For the past two monens, I believe that the only thing that has sustained him was the idea of vengeance," Zhaan said.

Aeryn closed her eyes. "Is that all?"

"No. Crichton still blames himself for your death. I spoke with him. He says he knows that he wasn't in control of himself when it happened, but he cannot accept what he's done."

Aeryn sighed. "Typical Crichton. Always trying to take everything on his shoulders."

"Indeed," Zhaan agreed. "And what about you?"

"I know it wasn't him. For a time, I was angry. I think I was angry with myself as well, for allowing my guard down when that chip had control of John's brain. Crais warned me not to trust him, but I didn't listen."

Zhaan took Aeryn's hand and squeezed it. "Crais has been helpful. I believe that his change is genuine."

"Right. Can we go eat? I'm hungry; I haven't eaten yet today," Aeryn said, changing the subject.

~~~

When Aeryn and Zhaan entered the central chamber, they found everyone else awaiting them. Chiana had prepared a meal from their supplies to welcome Aeryn back. As they ate, Aeryn told them of what had happened in the monens of her captivity. Then, the crew related their search for her.

"So, we got the message. Crichton insisted on trading his life for yours," Stark finished.

"And now he's in Scorpius' hands again," Aeryn said, pushing her plate away. "We must get him back."

"Aeryn, do you know why Scorpius needs Crichton again?" Crais asked.

"I believe that Scorpius was unable to decipher the information on the neurochip that he implanted in Crichton's brain. Scorpius had me in his frelling Aurora Chair because he thought I might be able to explain what he didn't understand." Aeryn couldn't help but notice that both Stark and Crais winced reflexively when she mentioned the Chair.

"So how are we gonna get Crichton back?" Chiana asked.

"I may have a plan," Aeryn said. "It's risky, and probably suicidal."

Chiana grinned. "Sounds perfect."

~~~

Aeryn made her way down the familiar corridors of Moya, running her hand absently along the wall. She had missed the hum of the living ship more than she'd realized. She wandered aimlessly for a while, but then stopped. A sound, behind her, soft and stealthy. Aeryn continued walking, listening carefully. The sound came again.

"All right, who's there?" she called.

Jothee stepped out from behind one of the walls. "It's just me," he said.

"Why were you following me?"

Jothee looked at her carefully. "You're a former Peacekeeper. How did you end up here? You're not like the other Peacekeepers I've met."

"I was declared irreversibly contaminated, years ago," Aeryn said. "I was taken prisoner aboard Moya when your father, Zhaan and Rygel were escaping."

"They aren't unclassified species," Jothee said.

"No, but Crichton – the Human species – was. I defended him against Crais. This was my reward for telling the truth." Aeryn spoke the words plainly, with no sense of bitterness. She had gotten over the last of the pain monens ago.

"My father speaks highly of him," Jothee said, leaning against the wall.

"He has reason to, we all do. John has saved us all many times. Sometimes, from each other," Aeryn said. "Ka D'Argo is an honorable man, Jothee. No matter what was told to you, never forget that he loves you."

An expression darkened Jothee's face for a microt, then faded before Aeryn could discern its meaning. "Yes, I suppose so," he said. "Good luck on your mission."

She watched as the young Luxan headed down the corridor in the opposite direction. As much as she was happy that D'Argo had once again found his son, she couldn't suppress a sense of foreboding. _That one may be trouble_, she thought.

~~~

"You realize this idea frelling insane," D'Argo said dryly.

"I'm well aware of that," Aeryn said. She looked out the viewscreen again, at the rocks that slowly drifted around them. "But unless you can come up with a better plan, we're using mine." A memory occurred to her suddenly: Crichton, on the Cemetery Planet speaking – _You're the pin-up girl of frontal assault_… She hadn't understood the words, but she'd grasped the meaning behind what he'd said.

_Some things don't change,_ she thought grimly to herself.

"Crais, is Talyn prepared?" Aeryn called over her comm.

"Yes. He fears, however, that he alone will not be sufficient to distract the full attention of a command carrier," Crais responded.

"Tell him to use that frelling cannon of his," Rygel said. "It's certainly large enough."

"I only need the attention diverted long enough for the module to get in to the hangar safely. After that, you can retreat until I give you the signal," Aeryn reminded him again. She knew that Talyn was nervous about his first battle with a command carrier, and hoped that her reassurances would help soothe him.

"We are ready to attack on your command."

"Thank you, Crais," Aeryn said. She turned and left command, heading towards the bay where Crichton's module was stored.

When she arrived, she found Zhaan and Stark at work. "Will it work?" Aeryn asked.

"I cannot believe that we still have T'raltixx's disappearing device on board, Aeryn," Zhaan said. They had found it buried in a heap of spare parts and scrap metal.

"Yes, now, will it work?"

"It appears so," Stark said. "There was some damage done to it at some point, but I have been able to repair most of it. However, there is a slight problem."

"What?"

"There is a danger that leaving it turned on for more than half an arn could cause it to short out. You'll have to move quickly and keep track of how long it's engaged. Do you think you can make it aboard the carrier and find him in that amount of time?"

Aeryn blinked. "Half an arn? When we first tested it, it barely ran for ten microts."

"Yes, so Zhaan has told me. If I had more time, I would have been able to perhaps ensure at least an arn of time," Stark explained.

"Stark, you've done more than we had hoped for as it is," Aeryn said. "Thank you."

"I know what Crichton is going through, and no living being should have to suffer such torture," Stark said.

"He won't," Aeryn said resolutely. She looked at the Peacekeeper uniform she was wearing. "Do you think this will work?"

"As long as no one recognizes you, yes," Zhaan said. "But do not waste time. Good luck, Aeryn."

"Thank you," Aeryn said. She turned to the module, where Stark was finishing the final tests on the disappearing device.

"She's ready," he said.

~~~

"Crais, do you read me?"

"Yes, Aeryn. I can hear you well," Crais responded. "Talyn is ready to leave the asteroid field. Is your ship in order?"

"Yes. Let's go."

Microts later, Talyn emerged from the field, sweeping gracefully through space towards the command carrier. Aeryn watched with a sense of pride as Talyn began firing on the larger ship. Sure enough, a few microts later, several prowlers appeared from a hangar and began to retaliate.

Aeryn waited impatiently for her opening to appear. She spotted a gap, and flicked the switch to engage the disappearing device. "Crais, I'm going in now. Keep them busy for at least ninety more microts!"

She departed the field, counting the time as she maneuvered around the prowlers that moved with speed and grace. Suddenly, she ached deeply for the loss of her own ship. She knew that they had money now, since they had not needed to pay the Diagnosan, but even buying a new prowler would not be quite the same.

In microts, she was in the half-empty hangar, engaging the landing gear. Aeryn was instantly grateful that there was no one in the immediate area who could hear her engine. She braced herself, then popped the hatch and slipped out, remembering to take note of where she had landed.

"Here goes nothing," she murmured, unaware that she'd mirrored another one of Crichton's Earth sayings.

~~~

She found her ways down the corridor of the large ship swiftly, only slightly surprised to find that she still remembered the details of the layout. Aeryn was dressed in a leftenant uniform, similar to the one she'd worn over a cycle ago, during the incident that had started this whole mess. She was immensely relieved to realize that no one seemed to recognize her.

Soon, she found her way to the high security containment area of the ship. She concealed herself in a side passage, waiting for a guard to pass, alone. She didn't have long to wait. Microts later, a guard strolled by, and she reached out, grabbing him and pulling him into the passage. A moment later, he was out cold from her Pantak jab.

Aeryn stepped out of the passage, now dressed in the guard's pilfered uniform. She checked the rifle he had been carrying quickly. Talyn's attack had been successful in distracting the crew of the ship – those who were not flying prowlers were probably busy tending to any wounded and assessing the damage.

She mentally checked the time. Still more than enough, if she found him quickly. She started down the hall, glancing in the tiny window set into the cell doors. Aeryn noticed that further down the hallway, a guard had been posted beside one door in particular. She acted on instinct.

"I've been sent to relieve you," she said in what she hoped sounded like a bored, unsuspicious voice.

"About time. You're overdue by nearly a quarter arn!" the guard complained. "I've been stuck on this ridiculous duty for six arns!"

"What are you guarding?" she asked, being careful to not sound to interested.

"Some creature Scorpius wants. He looks like a Sebacean but he's not," the guard said impatiently.  
  


"Human."

"What's that?" he asked.

"It's a Human," Aeryn repeated. She lifted her rifle, jamming the butt into the guard's chest. He was caught off guard and landed against the wall heavily. In moments, Aeryn had taken him out.

~~~

John sat on the cot, a dull throb in his head. He couldn't remember the past few days. He remembered the marauder, seeing Aeryn. And being injected with something before the marauder had even returned to the carrier. He'd awoken in this cell, alone. He knew it was a matter of time before Scorpius came for him to gather the information.

Without any announcement, the door swung open widely. A guard stood in the doorway, rifle pointed at him. John stared, then stood, suddenly angry. "Frell off! You can tell Scorpy that he can go to hell!" he shouted.

He froze solid.

"You can talk," a voice said from the helmet, sounding just as surprised as he felt. A familiar voice. Aeryn pulled off the helmet, her hair slightly disheveled.

"I can talk?" he repeated, numbly. "Aeryn? What the frell..? Scorpius. Of course. He must've fixed me, so he could interrogate me. He can't access my thoughts through the chip anymore, so he _had_ to…" Suddenly, realization struck him. "How the frell did you get here? You shouldn't be here, Aeryn! You've got to get off before Scorpy gets you, too!"

Aeryn cocked an eyebrow at him. "Happy to see you too, Crichton. And getting out of here was exactly what I had in mind. Only you're coming with me this time." She indicated the body of the guard slumped by the door.

~~~


	8. Return

Part 8: Return

~~~

"Crichton, hurry the frell up! We're down to less than eight hundred microts!" Aeryn hissed at him.

They were both dressed in the uniforms of the guards as they made their way down the corridors, towards the hangar. Aeryn couldn't help but notice that John was lagging. "What are you doing?" she whispered.

"I'm gonna get him," he responded, his voice tight.

"Who? Scorpius? I don't think so! We have to get out of here, _now_!"

Crichton turned suddenly, heading back the way they had come. Aeryn grabbed his arm roughly and slammed him against the bulkhead.

"_Ow_! Dammit, Aeryn, that hurt!" He said.

"Frell you, Crichton, we do not have time. I know you want to get Scorpius. I do, too. But right now, we need to leave so we can kill him when we have the advantage!" Aeryn nearly snarled.

Crichton slumped. "Yeah, okay. You're right. First things first, right?"

Crichton allowed Aeryn to lead him back to the hangar. She pulled up short outside. "Frell."

"What is it?" John asked, suddenly worried.

"There are too many people around," Aeryn said, digging around inside her uniform. "Crais! Crais! Can you hear me? I need you to attack again!"

"Crais?" John asked, surprised.

"Yes, he's helping. How do you think I got in here so easily in the first place?"

"Good question," John muttered.

Aeryn turned to ask him what he meant by that comment, but Crais' voice came over the comm. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, begin attacking again. I've found him and we're ready to leave, but there are too many people in the hangar," Aeryn informed him.

"It's done," Crais said.

Microts later, alarms began to go off on the command carrier. Aeryn watched, amused, as the techs and pilots who had been idling in the hangar sprang to life, scrambling for their workstations and prowlers. In less than forty-five microts, the hangar was nearly empty of prowlers.

~~~

They exited the hangar without a problem. Aeryn began to feel that they might make it back to Moya safely when all hell broke loose.

A warning light began flashing on the console. Moments later, it went dead. "Oh, _frell_!" She cried angrily.

"What, what's happened?" John asked, sounding panicked.

"The disappearing device just shorted! Stark said that it would last for at least another ninety microts or so!" Aeryn said.

"Uh, Aeryn? We've been spotted," John said. She turned to glance at him. He was staring out the small window at the two prowlers that were headed in their direction at great speed.

"Yeah, I know, now shut up and let me work!" Aeryn grabbed the controls again, concentrating. The prowlers opened fire, and she maneuvered to avoid them. Suddenly, she found herself thankful that John had kept the module in such good condition over the past two cycles.

The prowlers dogged them, firing rapidly. It took nearly all of the skills Aeryn had as a pilot to avoid the fire. Ahead, the asteroid field was visible, getting closer by the microt. 

As the module blasted past the first of the asteroids, Aeryn hoped that she was better trained than her tails. She swerved wildly through the field, avoiding asteroids by what seemed like denches. The pilots in the prowlers had ceased firing, clearly focusing their attention on avoiding the giant rocks. Aeryn couldn't help but smile when she caught sight of one clip a nearby asteroid and go spinning off. Moments later, it exploded – and the shrapnel struck the second prowler. 

"The other one's slowing," Crichton reported.

"Hit by shrapnel. Probably disabled the hetch drive," Aeryn said. "Are you ready to come home?"

~~~

The module landed gently in the bay. Crichton stared out at his friends, who waited with apprehension. Aeryn opened the hatch, quickly descending to the floor. John stood up, looking around warily, unsure of the reception he'd receive.

The moment he put his feet down on the golden-brown floor of Moya, they rushed to him, welcoming him back. Chiana gave him a hug, followed by D'Argo. Stark clasped his hand in friendship. Even Rygel offered a few words.

John was surprised by the warm welcome. However, everyone else was more surprised when he spoke. "Thank you," he said, his voice still rusty from lack of use.

"John!" Zhaan spoke. "You can speak? How?"

"Scorpy had to fix me to interrogate me. I don't remember how… I don't remember anything until I woke up in a cell," he said, then smiled sardonically. "I guess he did me a favor, after all."

"Is he dead?" D'Argo asked.

John hesitated. Aeryn spoke instead. "No. We didn't have time to kill him; it was more important that we leave the carrier alive."

"And Crais?" Pilot asked. His image was visible in one of the many clamshells that dotted the ship.

"He should be returning within a few microts," Aeryn said. "You and Moya should be pleased, Pilot. Talyn performed well. He has grown much."

The small gathering began to disperse. Zhaan pulled John aside. "John, I want you to come to the infirmary with me, immediately. I want to examine what the Peacekeepers did to you, to make sure there are no side effects or anything else we should know about."

"My thoughts exactly, Zhaan," he said.

"Have you spoken with Aeryn?" 

John's expression became unreadable, and his eyes darkened. "No, not yet, Zhaan."

Zhaan took his arm as they began to walk towards her infirmary. "You know you must, don't you?"

He nodded once.

"John, you must realize that you aren't to blame for what happened. Aeryn knows this."

"She does, does she? Even if she does know, she's probably still pissed," John said, a note of defeat in his voice.

"John, sometimes you can be blind to what is so obvious. If you truly think that Aeryn hates you, why would she risk her life and the lives of others to bring you back to Moya?" Zhaan said.

John didn't answer her.

~~~

The next days passed quickly. Moya and Talyn had left the asteroid field quickly, hoping to avoid being trapped there like they had been similarly trapped on a previous occasion. Traveling quickly, they soon left the command carrier behind, taking a route that would hopefully lead them farther away from any Peacekeeper presence. Moya continued to heal, and Pilot predicted that within weekans, she would be fully recovered.

Life on the Leviathan quickly returned to what passed for normal. Zhaan's tests on John had shed no light on the recovery of his speech, to his dismay. Soon, he was eating with the crew again and beginning to reacclimatize himself to his life before the tragedy. Aeryn had readjusted quickly, as well. She worked out frequently, but found herself growing restless without her prowler to maintain. Everyone knew that Moya was in a weakened position, now that they were without any defensive weaponry. A situation that would become worse when Talyn finally decided to leave his mother's side again.

Aeryn had been seeking out John more frequently as well. She knew he was avoiding her, and it irked her. He wouldn't talk about what happened. He would hardly talk to her at all, unless it was necessary for the welfare of the ship. Aeryn had persevered, however. She knew him better than anyone on Moya, and had almost developed a sense for when something was wrong with him.

~~~

"Crichton, are you coming?" Aeryn asked. She'd found him sitting in the central chamber alone, appearing lost in thought.

"Huh?" John replied, looking distracted. 

"I said that I was going to train. Are you coming with? You certainly could use any training you can get," she said, smirking good-naturedly. She was worried. Before her death, John had spent what seemed like every spare microt with her, whether it was in training or performing maintenance on Moya and the other ships. Now, she felt lucky if she saw him at mealtimes.

"No."

"Excuse me?" she said, raising an eyebrow.

John stood up abruptly. "I said _no_, Aeryn. Just leave me alone. It's better that you do, for your sake." He strode out of the room, leaving a very confused Aeryn in his wake.

~~~

Aeryn found John sitting on the floor of his quarters, brooding. His knees had been pulled up to his chest, and his face rested on his crossed arms "John?" she asked tentatively.

"Go 'way," he mumbled, not bothering to look up. "I'm bad luck."

"We need to talk," she pressed on. She refused to have him avoiding her any longer.

"Don't wanna talk," he said, sounding like a petulant child.

"Damn you, Crichton!" Aeryn shouted, kneeling beside him and pulling his arms away, forcing him to face her. He looked her in the eye a moment, but then shifted his gaze to the side. Aeryn immediately regretted shouting.

"Scorpius put you in the chair because of me," he said dully. "And I killed you."

"Crichton, Scorpius captured you and put a chip in your head because of _me_. Do you remember the Gammak base? Scorpius had you being tortured in the Aurora Chair for two solar days. You wouldn't have been there if you hadn't been trying to save my life."

"Yeah. And I frelled up. And you had to come save my ass, again."

She took his head in her hands gently, drawing his attention back to her face through sheer willpower. "John Crichton," she said slowly and softly. "You are not responsible for what happened on that planet. You didn't kill me. You aren't responsible for what Scorpius did, either. I've already forgiven you, don't you understand?"

"Aeryn…" he said, lifting a hand to touch her cheek. She closed her eyes, leaning into it, ever so lightly. "I'm sorry. I'm no good to you. Everything bad that's happened to you has all been directly my fault." He pulled his hand away guiltily, as if he had no right to touch her.

Aeryn's eyes snapped open. "No, you listen to _me_, John. You may be a lot of trouble, and you may have caused a lot of trouble. Not just for me, but for all of us. But _none_ of it is your fault. You are the best thing that's happened to me," she said, a slow smile on her lips.

She pulled him forward, so he couldn't escape. Her lips brushed against his for a fraction of a microt, and then she was kissing him, deeply. As much as he wanted – _knew_ – he should stop this, his body would not oblige him. As much as he knew that he was trouble, the greater part of him loved and wanted Aeryn too much to stop.

She pulled away, and he opened his eyes to see an amused look. "For someone who claims that I should stay away, you certainly don't act as though you'd like that to happen," she said, arching an eyebrow.

"You're very convincing," John said, a glint coming into his eyes. "Or I'm just easy."

Aeryn sat down, resting her back against his chest. She could feel his warmth, so distinctly Human, all around her. She took his arms and pulled them around her midsection. A moment later, they tightened, and John rested his head against her shoulder.

They sat together for some time, enjoying the comfort of being together after being separated for so long. There was much healing that needed to be done, both emotionally and physically. But for once, it felt like they were moving forward. The silence between them was more meaningful than any conversation could have been. They'd always spoken better without words, anyway.

"Aeryn, I was just thinking," John said slowly. "Don't you think… do you think we got off too easily?"

Aeryn twisted to look at him. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean… Scorpy wanted me bad. Still wants me bad. Last time we thought we got away clean, but he put a chip in my head."

"And?"

"What if… what if he put another chip in my head? Or something worse?"

Aeryn watched his face closely. He looked calm, but she saw a fear lurking below the surface of his eyes. To that question, she had no answer.

END.


End file.
